This invention relates to a refill hose mounting member and retainer for water level control valves or ball cocks in toilet flush tanks. More particularly, this invention relates to a unique, rigid mounting member and retainer which is connectable to the refill hose of a water level control valve in a toilet flush tank and has retainer or positioning means integrated therewith for positioning the mounting member directing water therefrom downwardly into the upper end of a generally vertical overflow tube in a precise and predictable manner not heretofore possible in prior water level control valve assemblies. Furthermore, prior to the overall assembly of the water level control valve including the refill hose mounting member and retainer of the present invention in a toilet flush tank, and during storage and shipment thereof, the mounting member and retainer may be advantageously used for temporarily storing certain mounting parts for the overall control valve assembly thereon, thereby greatly simplifying the packing materials and procedure normally used for such purposes.
Various forms of ball cocks or water level control valves have long since been used in toilet flush tanks for controlling the water supply necessarily retained therein. In a usual installation, with a flush or discharge valve of the toilet flush tank closed, a supply of water is directed into the flush tank through the water level control valve and when the water level in the flush tank reaches a predetermined level, the water level control valve automatically closes and remains so positioned awaiting a toilet flushing operation. In carrying out the toilet flushing operation, the separate discharge valve is opened permitting the predetermined water supply in the flush tank to flow downwardly through the toilet, the discharge valve ultimately automatically reclosing when the water level in the flush tank has reached a predetermined lower level. At the same time, during this water exiting flow procedure through the discharge valve, the water level control valve automatically opens so that when the discharge valve ultimately closes, the flush tank is once again refilled to its predetermined water level awaiting the beginning of the next flushing operation.
The foregoing is typical of the basic toilet flushing operation, but in addition thereto, it is necessary between flushing operations to maintain a predetermined water level at all times in the toilet and this refill water is supplied to the toilet in the latter stages of the flushing operation by a subsidiary refill hose connected to the water level control valve and directing a relatively small amount of the flush tank water supply to the toilet separate from that passing through the flush tank discharge valve. During a flushing operation, when the water level control valve is opened, a portion of the water being released thereby passes through the refill hose and is directed from the end of the refill hose usually into an upper open end of a vertical overflow tube mounted in the flush tank. The overflow tube is permanently upwardly open and permanently downwardly communicates with the toilet, thereby serving two purposes, one to receive flush tank water directly downwardly therethrough and through the toilet in the event the water level control valve malfunctions and the water level in the flush tank rises beyond its predetermined level so as to prevent an overflow of the flush tank itself and the other for directing the supply of refill water into the toilet during each flushing operation.
One of the basic problems encountered with water level control valve assemblies has involved the positioning and maintaining of a flexible refill hose from the water level control valve properly directing the refill water supply into the open upper end of the overflow tube. Flexible refill hoses are used for various reasons including varying required distances between water level control valves and overflow tubes in the flush tanks of different toilet models, as well as for efficiency and economy. The ends of the flexible refill hoses have normally been positioned and retained at the open upper ends of the overflow tubes by means of metal clips having an upper portion engaging and retaining the end of the refill hose and a lower portion engaging the upper end of the overflow tube. In this manner, it is attempted to relatively precisely position the end of the refill hose for properly directing the refill water supply downwardly into the overflow tube.
This means of retaining the end of the flexible refill hose positioned relative to the open upper end of the overflow tube has not always been totally satisfactory. Obviously, if all of the refill water supply is not properly directed into the overflow tube for reception by the toilet during each flushing operation, a proper water level will not be maintained in the toilet between the flushing operations. Thus, it is clear that the maintaining of the proper positioning of the flexible refill hose is an important adjunct to the satisfactory operation of the overall water level control valve assembly and failure or partial failure thereof will destroy the overall efficiency, if not make the overall operation completely prohibitive.